Means for producing containers



June 11, 1935. Q HOFMANN 2,004,164

ATTORNEY June 11, 1935. Q N 2,004,164

MEANS FOR PRODUCING CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2aa/MK ATTORNEY Patented June 2,004,164 MEANS FOR PRODUCING. CONTAINERS:Otto Hofmann, Karlsbad; Czechoslovakia Application October 24, 1932,Serial No. 639,320

In Czechoslovakia July 22, 1932 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of containers, forinstance suit cases, port manteaux made of mouldable by stamping orpressing.

leather or other material The im- 51 proved container according to theinvention is characterized by the fact, that it is made of single pieceof material, preferably without any seams. In the case of suit cases orportmanteaux,

both the cover and the main body of the 0011-.

tainer are'each made of one single piece of material. The container ismanufactured according to the invention by pressing or stamping, a

suitable stamping or pressing machine having been designed for th epurpose.

Hitherto containers of a similar kind have been made by connectingtogether the various superficial parts of the container by sewing,gluing, cementing or riveting.

Small containers have indeed been made without a seam out of one pieceof material, but in such cases only very thin material could be used andsome of the superfluous material had to to form gussets.

be folded so as The containers made according tothe present inventionhave the advantage that they are water and dust proof and that all seamsor joints are dispensed with. The containers also have very considerablestrength and durability, as there is so danger of joints, seams orrivets becoming loose or undone.

Another advantage is the reduction in weight due to the fact, that thelining or reinforcing material may be dispensed with.

Containers made according to the invention may be very easily dyed orpainted in their ready condition, particularly by the known sprayingprocess, inasmuch as there are no folds, creases,

gaps or seams which may prejudicially affect the Fig. 1 is a perspeccover or lid,

tive view of a seamless case Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a seamlessmain case body,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the'complete suitcase.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a suitcase'body with inserted side wallfortravelling cases'or trunks. r

Fig. 5 is a perspectivevi'ew of a complete trunk providedwithreinforcing members. Q

Fig. 6 showsdiagrammatically in sectional elevation means for making acontainer.

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the device shown in Fig. 6.

Figs. 8, to 10 are perspective views of various l0 constructions of aninternal mould or core used in the manufacture of the container.

The containers, cases and like receptacles according to the inventionmay be provided in the usual manner with fittings, hinges, linings and15 other parts or ornaments, and they may, if required, be provided withreinforcing members or parts. In some cases, for instance, in the caseof very large trunks or cases, one or more of the side walls may beinserted as shown in Fig. 4. 20

The seamless production of the container parts is carried out by placingsuitably softened, fulled, milled or otherwise prepared leather or othermouldable material upon an outer mould of a size corresponding to thesize of the container 25 part to be produced, and by pressing thematerial by means of pressor or stamp into the mould. The container partthus shaped in the mould is then removed from the mould, dried, out tothe required height and if necessary further 30 worked.

A machine suitable for the manufacture of the improved containercomprises a core member a which has the internal dimensions and shape ofthe container to be produced, and an external 35 frame or die I), theinternal measures of which correspond to the external measures of thecontainer to be made. The edge a of the external mould should preferablybe so shaped as to guide the material during the pressing or stampingop- 40 eration. The moulding frame 22 is preferably provided withreinforcing members (1 which give it the necessary strength and alsoserve as sup.- ports for placing the mould upon a suitably large bearingsurface of the table of the press.

The manufacture is carried out as follows: A suitable softened, milled,fulled or otherwise prepared piece e of leather or other material isplaced upon the mould frame b, which is fixed upon the open table of aslowly operating press. 50 The material is then pressed by the aid ofthe core a into and through the moulding frame 12. During the slowpressing process the material whilst being pressed into the mouldingframe is 1 so distributed that it lies quite smoothly in the corners andedges and that no creases or folds are formed. The pressed or stampedpiece of material is allowed to dry and harden upon the core a,whereupon it may be cut to the required height and further treated orworked.

The core and the outer mould or die may be made of any suitable materialaccording to the material of which the container is made and. alsoaccording to the size of the material treated. Figs. 6 to 8 show awooden core a which, as may be seen from Fig. 8, is provided holes g forthe escape of air enclosed between the core and the work.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a core made of metalin sectional elevation and crosssection. The core is made hollow and is provided inits bottom with airescape passages 9';

The core may also beprovidecl with a stencil or a pattern or inscriptionto be produced invthe same operation upon, the workpiece.

It will be understood that the described arrangement may also bereversed by using a mova- V ble outer moulding frame or rim and astationary core or stamp The outer mould andvthe stamp or core may alsobe moved simultaneously.

It will be understood that various details of construction may be variedwithout departing from the scope of the invention. The reinforcing ribshown in Fig. 9 may be omitted if not required.

Having now particularly described and ascer- 7 tained the nature of saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is:

A machine for forming seamless leather suitcases, bags and satchels,comprising a core member having the shape of a suitcase and providedwith openings for the passage of air, the crosssection of said coremember being the same throughout the height thereof, a ring which issubstantially smaller in height than said core member and the suitcaseto be drawn, said core member being adapted to be inserted within saidring, the distance between the exterior surfaces of said core member andthe inner surfaces of said ring being smaller than the thickness of theleather to be drawn, re-inforcing members connected with said ring atthe exterior surfaces o'rro MHOFMANN.

